Calk for antiskid tire chains



Oct` 27. 1942. 'A'. M; HMNE-s Y 2,300,383

cALK FCR ANTIsKIn TIRE CHAINS- Eiled o'ct. '24.' 1940 nu?? jj? .M2232 3g. E f@ /f ,271; z/za NEYs Patented Oct. 2.7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Canada,

assignor to Columbus McKinnon Chain Corp., Tonawanda, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 24, 1940, Serial No. 362,641

6 Claims.

My invention relates in general to calks for anti-skid chains and particularly to anti-skid cross chain links of the curb type, which have their ends joined by welding.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that in cross chains of this type, the raised curved surfaces of the link which contact with the pavement wear very rapidly; and, when in this condition they readily break under the slightest added strain.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide a calk for the links of an anti-skid cross chain that shall project above the normal curved contact surfaces oi the link and which will take a substantially large part of the wear while the link is in use.

Another object has been to provide a calk which may be held in engagement with the chain link by being inserted `between the sides cf the chain link. n

A further object has been to provide a method of assembling whereby the calks may be held in place within the link by engagement of the side walls therewith, the side walls being forced inwardly in the act of fastening the calk in place within the link. Moreover, by reason of the method of assembling of my invention, it is possible to properly harden the calk so that it may be more resistant to wear, while permitting the link to be hardened only suciently to produce maximum toughness. Furthermore, my calk is held in place within the link only by means of the clamping engagement of the sides of the link with the calk.

Moreover, the calk of my invention is so proportioned in respect to the width of the link that it does not at any point extend beyond the outer contour thereof.

Moreover, it has been an object to provide a single-piece calk which shall entend across between the link from one side thereof to the other, and thereby provide struts between the sides of the link.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the devices shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of my invention applied to a link of an anti-skid cross chain.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

IFig. 3 is a perspective view of the form of calk of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of calk. l

Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the form of calk of Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 9 is a plan View of another modified formy cf -calk applied to a link.

Fig. 1011s a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of the calk of Figs. 9 and 10. Y

Fig. l2 is an end elevationthereof.

Fig. 13 is a plan View of still another form of calk in position within a link.

Fig. 14 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the forni of calk of Figs. 13 and 14. Y Y

Fig. 16 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 17 is a :plan View of a link and a calk the process of being assembled. n

Fig. 18 is a side elevation showing a number of assembled links in position of use, having the form of calk of Figs. l to 4,'inclusive.

In general, my invention relates to a calk which is preformed and provided with grooves in its sides for engagement with the sides of the carrying link. The calk may take various forms,-as indicated in the drawing, each form being provided with the grooves justV mentioned.

Reference is now to -be had particularly to the form of calk shown in Figs. 1 r to 4, inclusive, where the lcalk 23 is substantially Z-shape in cross-section, thus providing three struts 2|, 22A and 23.

The calk is substantially uniform in cross-section andis of such a height as to extend somewhat beyond the curved surfaces Ziand "25 of the link 2B by which it is carried, as shown inA Fig. 2. As shown in the drawing', the calk extends through the interior of the link and is located between the sides 3U and '3| thereof. The calk is formed with free edges 32 and 33 as well as curvedy edges 3B and 31 at the points of juncture of the struts 2| and 22, and 22 and 23. Grooves 34 and 35 are formed, respectively, in the edges 32 fand 33 and, likewise, grooves 4|! and 4| are formedfin the edges 36 and 3l, respectively, for the reception of the sides 30 and 3| of the link. .TheI pairs of grooves 34 and 4|1,.and`35 and 4| lare so angularly arranged with respect to each other thatv they will register with and engagethe inclined sides 3B and 3| of the curb link 26, Yas clearly shown in the drawing. The distance between the grooves 34 and 4J, and 40 and 35 is such that when the sides 30 and 3| of the link are in theirnormalpositions, as shown in the drawing, the calk will be firmly held in place by the clampingengagement of said sides. The width ofthe vcalk 'is such that there will be sufficient extension over the sides of the link to anchor the calk within the same. It is desirable, however, that the calk does not extend beyond the outer boundaries of the link sides although it may do so if desired. As shown in most of the forms of my invention, the struts of the calk engage the inner peripheries of the link sides.

In carrying out my invention the links of the chain are preferably initially formed, as shown in Fig. 17, so that there is suicient space between the sides to permit the passage of the calk, which is brought to a position in the link where its recesses will register with the sides, after which such sides are forced toward each other and the link is thus bent into the final shape, as for instance that shown in Fig. 1. During such bending action, the sides of the link will engage and be forced into the calk recesses and thereby firmly hold the calk in position without further fastening means.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. to 8, inclusive, the calk 45 is substantially U-shaped in cross-section when viewed from the side (see Fig. 6). It is provided with two leg portions 4S and 59 which are joined by a fiat portion 5I arranged at the tire engaging side of the link 26. The leg portions are each provided with oppositely arranged recesses 52, E3 and 54, 55. The leg portions 46 and Eil each have a road-engaging wearing surface 56 which extends preferably the full width of the link as shown in Fig. 5. The flat or tire engaging portion 5l is preferably of a width suiicient to extend across and engage sides 3i) and 3| ofthe link. When this calk is assembled with the link, it is necessary that the sides of the link be spaced only sufficiently to permit the passage of the portion 5l therebetween. Otherwise, the assembling is the same as hereinbefore described.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, the calk 60 is substantially rectangular in cross-section, having an opening SI and side walls 62 and 63, connected by means of strut forming walls 6d and 55. As shown in Fig. 12, the side members 62 and G3 are each formed, respectively, with a groove 6G and 'i9 for engagement, respectively, with the sides 30 and 3| of the link 2S. The road engaging surface of this calk is preferably provided with serrations or teeth 'l2 so as to increase the gripping ability 0f 'the 69,11.

In the form ofinvention shown in Figs. 13 to 16, inclusive, the calk 'i3 is preferably V-shaped in cross-section and is formed similarly to the Z-shaped form of invention of Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. This calk is therefore provided with two leg portions 'M and 'i5 which form struts extending across between the sides 38 and 3l of the link 26. The face 7S of each of the struts is formed with a groove 8E and the surface 8l at the'junction of the struts 'M and 15 is also formed with a 'groove 82. The grooves 8B are engageable with the side 3l of the link and the groove 82 is engageable with the side 3) of the link.

' Obviously, the calks of the last two described forms of my invention are assembled with the links in a manner similar to that hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 18, a number of links 26 are shown assembled in a cross chain, the calks there shown being substantially the same as those illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. In this figure the circle 873 Shown in broken lines represents the contour of the tire and the straight line 84, represented in broken lines, indicates the surface of the roadway over which the tire bearing the chain is traveling. From this figure it will be obvious that the surfaces 24 of the link are held out of contact with the road surface 84, and that the road engaging surface of the calk 22 Will take the wear and abrasion resulting from contact with the road whereby the life of the links of the cross chain will be greatly increased.

While I have shown a number of forms of calks, it is obvious that my invention is applicable also to other forms of calks such as will provide struts extending across from one side of the link to the other, and which may be held in position by means of the engagement of the sides of the link with grooves formed in the strut members of such calks.

Furthermore, while I have shown my calk assembled in a link formed as shown in Fig. 17, it is obvious that the links may be initially formed as shown in the other figures and the calk so proportioned that it` may be forced in between the sides of the link, causing them to spring outwardly to admit the calk, after which they will spring back again into the recesses of the calk thereby firmly holding the same in place. l

Having thus 'described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A calk for individual links of an anti-skid chain, said calk being disposed within the link and formed with a plurality of interspaced struts adapted to extend across between the sides of the link, said struts ybeing so formed as to extend through the link and to project from opposite faces thereof, and said struts having preformed grooves in its opposite sides for registration and close-tting engagement with said link sides.

2. A calk for individual links of an anti-skid chain, said calk being disposed within the link and formed with a plurality of interspaced struts adapted to extend across between the sides of the link, said struts being so formed as to extend through the link and to project from opposite faces thereof, said calk having an integral member connecting said interspaced struts, and said struts having preformed grooves in their opposite sides for registration and close-tting engagement with said link sides.

3. A calk for individual links of an anti-skid chain, said calk being disposed within the link and formed with a plurality of interspaced, parallel struts adapted to extend across between the sides of the link, said struts being so formed as to extend through the link and to project from opposite faces thereof, and said struts having preformed grooves in its opposite sides for registration and close-fitting engagement with said link sides.

4. A single-piece calk for welded anti-skid chain links, said -calk comprising a plurality of interspaced struts and an integral member connecting said struts, said calk engaging the link and having its struts adapted to extend across between the sides of the link, said calk being so formed as to exten-d through the link and to project from opposite faces thereof, and said struts having preformed grooves in their opposite sides for registration and close-fitting engagement with the link sides.

5. The combination with a welded anti-skid chain link of the curb type, of a single-piece calk, comprising a plurality of interspaced struts and an integral connecting member, said struts projecting rom opposite faces of the link and havmg preformed grooves in the opposite sides thereof for registration a'nd close-fitting engagement with the surfaces of the inner perimeter of the sides of the link.

6. A calk for welded anti-skid chain links, said calk being disposed within the link and adapted to extend across between the sides of the link, said calk being so formed as to extend through the link and to project from opposite faces thereof, and said calk being preformed and having grooves in its opposite sides shaped to conform substantially throughout their lengths to the link sides, said grooves being in close-fitting engagement with said link sides and held therebetween only by the springing engagement of said link sides.

ARTHUR. M. HAYNES, 

